Fire alarm and prevention system



Aug 31, 1937. w. BELKNAP 2,091,465

FIRE ALARM AND PREVENTION SYSTEM Filed July 8, 1935 v2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v I w 47 4Z 40 42 5.5' 42 46 lll/111111111111 v To I W n 9 W .7' BYV Q WTTORNEYS.

Aug. 31, 1937. Wg. BELKNAP 2,091,465

FIRE ALAM AND PREVENTION SYSTEM Filed July 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r lrENT i6 I @7% ATTORNEYQl Patented Aug. 31, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIQE FIRE ALARM AND PREVENTION SYSTEM Application July 8, 1935, Serial No. 30,254

9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fire alarm and prevention systems, and has for an object to provide an effective system for cutting ofi" the flow of fuel to a furnace or the like in the event of a fire, and which system also preferably includes means for sounding an alarm simultaneously with the cutting off of the fuel now.

A particular object is to provide a construction and arrangement which will be sure to operate in case of a fire.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View illustrating one arrangement of the system in a basement or other room;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale and showing details of construction;

Fig. 3 is an edge view showing the latching means employed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view through an example of a fusible element which may be employed;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale, showing a bell crank lever used in the system; and

Fig. 8 is an edge View of the bell crank of Fig. '7.

Referring in detail to the drawings at I8 is generally indicated a valve including a casing II having an inlet port I2 and also having an outlet port to a pipe IZa. Within the casing is a valve element 9 which is connected to lever I3 to be operated thereby, and which valve element normally occupies an open position as shown in the lower or dotted line position when elements I3 and I'I are in the elevated full line position of Fig. 2 permitting communication between the inlet and outlet ports of the valve but which is adapted to be moved to a closed position (shown in dot and dash lines) to prevent such communication by lowering of elements I3 and I'I to the lower dotted position. The valve IIJ is adapted to be connected in an oil, gas or other fuel line to a burner such as the burner of a furnace or the like and as will be hereinafter explained is adapted at the proper time to close such fuel line and cut off the flow of fuel therethrough.

A lever I 3 is pivotally mounted on the valve casing as at It and has its outer end portion enlarged vertically and provided with upper and lower stops l5a` and I5. Lever I3 is so connected with the valve element that when the lever is in the full line position of Fig. 2 the valve is open l0 but when the lever is in the broken line position of that figure the valve is closed. Pivoted to lever I3 at I8 is a weighted arm I'I the outer or free portion of which is preferably in the form of a ball-like weight and has integral therewith or secured thereto a hook I8 the purpose of which will later appear. The lever Il is electrically insulated from lever I3 at pivot I6 in any suitable manner.

Interposed between the weighted arm I'I and the stop I5a is a coil spring I9 normally tending to force the arm downwardly or in the direction of the stop I5. When the valve is open a suitable connection is made with the hook I8 to hold the arm Il in an upper position and the arm is moved upwardly about its pivot I6 and relative 25 to the lever I3 until the spring I9 is compressed sufficiently so that the lever I3 moves upwardly with the arm shifting the valve to open position. Since the arm is movable relative to the lever it will be apparent that on the arm being released the spring IS will assist the weighted outer end of the arm in swinging the latter downwardly about its pivot so as to have it strike the stop I5 a hammer-like blow. Therefore, if the pivot of the lever or the valve happens to be stuck or somewhat clogged with dust or the like, the same will be loosened so that the lever will swing downwardly and cause closing of the valve.

The present apparatus is adapted for installation in a basement or any other room or desired location and includes a bracket 2l) comprising a base portion 2| to be secured to a ceiling or beam or the like as by screws 22 and a depending portion 23 carried by the portion 2|. An arm 24 is 45 pivoted to the bracket 2U at 25 and includes a downwardly extending portion 26 and a forwardly directed portion 2l which intermediate its ends is offset as at 28 to provide a shoulder and the free end 29 of which may be somewhat hook shaped 50 as shown. Also, pivotally mounted on the bracket by any suitable means such as a screw 30 is a latch 3l and the same is pivoted intermediate its ends and has an upper out-turned portion 32 provided with an opening or notch 33. As shown 55 latch 3| is formed of flat stock and has its lower end portion twisted through an angle of ninety degrees as at Sil and then has its eXtreme lower portion 35 bent to extend rearwardly but inclin- 5 ing downwardly somewhat as shown best in Fig. 2.

In the installation a wire generally designated 36 may be carried about a room or basement or may be located only about the furnace or other possible source or" fire as desired. Fig. l shows one possible layout and there it will be noted that the wire comprises sections 3l, 38, 39, #le and lll and that in each section at any likely or desired point there is included one or more fusible means i2 which may be of any suitable type there being shown by way of example one type the details of which are shown in Fig. 6. Wherever it is necessary to carry the wire around a corner or an obstruction, bell crank levers are employed instead of guides to reduce friction, and while such levers as lhere disclosed are all of the same-construction the four shown in Fig. l are for the purpose of further description designated it, 45 and l5 respectively. These vlevers are pivote ally mounted adjacent the corners about which the wire is to be taken and the ypivots are designated li. v

Figs. 7 and 8 show the structure of one of the bell crank levers, that designated llt, and the same includes angularly disposed arms it and 139 connected by a hub .portion 54B having an opening 5i therethrough for the passage of the pivot shown asin the form of a screw. Each of the arms may or may not include areeniorcing or strengthening rib 48a, as desired.

After the bell crank levers are in place the wire may be installed and in such 'installation one end ofthe section 'l ofthe wire is anchored as at 52 and its other end is connected with an arm of the bell crank lever Lit at 53. Wire section 4I may extendalong a wall 54 ora room and the section 40 vextends Yalong the wall 55 at right angles to the wall 54 and has an end connected at 56 with the Vother arm Aof bell crank lever'fl and then has its opposite end connected at 5l with an arm of the bell crank lever 5. Wire section 39 extends along the wall 58 and at et has an end connected with an arm of the lever l5 and at 60 has an end connected with an arm of the lever 44. The wall'l is comparatively short as is the wire section 3B extending along it and attached at 62 to an arm of the lever fili and at 63 to an arm of the lever 43.

The -wire section 3-1 has one end connected with the otherl arm of the lever 43 at @il and the otherrend of such -wire is connected with one end of a coil spring 65 and there may be interpose a .fusible -means 42. At desired spaced points supporting eyes-5S may be screwed into the ceiling and have the wire pass through. them as in Fig. 2. The other end of the spring E5 .is hooked through .the opening `t3 in the -upper portion of the latch 3|. The arrangement .is such that the end of the wire 36 being anchored at the spring 55 65 is tensioned when all the parts yare in normal position, and cooperating with the arm 2liholds the latch 3l in normal position Whichfis theposi tion it isi-shownin in Fig. 2.

A wire 5l' is connected at its lower Vend with 70 the hook'lof the arm il and at its upper end is connectedwith thelower'endiof a coil spring t8 by means of oneof .the fusible means 552. The upper end oi' thecoil spring E8 is connected with the hook like portion 29 of the arm The .75 means B9 which connects the `lower end-of the wire with the hook i8 comprises a flat insulating n member made of fibre board or the like. It is the same as member lll having similar spaced openings, as shown in member l@ in Fig. 3, for the passage of the vwre and the hook and adapted to be manually connected` with and removed from the hook. The member 'lil connects the upper end of the lspring with the arm 2li, and as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 has a largel opening ll for the passage of the hook portion of said arm and a smaller opening 'lil through which the upper end of the spring is passed.

The full lines in Fig. 2 show the relationship of the parts when the valve i@ is in normal or open position. There it will be noted that the lever I3 and arm El yare being held in their upper position and that the shoulder formed by the -oiset portion 2t of the arm 24 is bearing against the upper inclined surface of the lower portion 35 of the latch 3l. Also, the vertical portion of said latch fis being held in abutting engagement with the offset portion 28 of the'arm 24 as shown at i3.

to carry its lower portion rtoward the arm 24.

Spring @il is also tensioned and is drawing downleased and the spring it will actto force such arm' downwardly about the pivot ll. Also, owing to the weight on its outer end the 'arm tendsI to gravitate downwardly immediately on being released but it will be appreciated that spring I9 accelerates this movement. As 'the arm moves downwardlyit gains considerable momentum and so strikes the stop l5 a hammer-like blow Ito jar the lever i3 loose if its pivot vtends to stick and the lever then moves downwardly with the arm until the parts assume the broken lineposition of Fig. 2 in which the valve is closed.

Spring is tensioned as above stated and is tending to rock the latch in a directionr A.on due to spring .63 'from shift` Should one of the means t2 in the wire 3S fuse the parts of the wire connected by such means will separate owing to the tension placedon the wire by the spring 65. spring is released or is free to return to its normal condition and in contracting draws the Wire with it. This, it may easily do since it is .not required that the wire be drawn through or over a plurality'of sup-ports or the like as the various bell crank levers will rock about their vpivots when a portion of the wire is released and there is the pull on its other portion, and will so permit the spring to contract.

As the spring is permitted to contract or is released the pull on the latch 3l maintaining it in abutting relation with the arm 24 at i3 ceases. However, the spring S3 is still under tension and tending to draw the arm downwardly by forcing its portion 23 against the upper inclined surface of the portion 35 of the latch causes the latch to swing in a counter-clockwise direction releasing the arm 2t. On the latter being released it swings toward the broken line position of Fig.'2 permitting the-connecting member T0 to slip'off the end-of the hookportion 29. In this way the Y,

When this occurs the means including wire El and spring et, supporting the arm ll" in its upper position, is released and the arm and lever I3 are free to move downwardly closing the valve as above explained. With this arrangement it is not necessary for the spring 68 to pull lengths of wire through a series of guides if a fusible element at some remote point releases, but the pull of the wire is by spring 65 which may be made as strong as desired. However, as soon as spring 65 is released the catch 24, 3l releases under action of spring 68 and permits the valve to close.

The fusible means l2 which is shown merely by way of example, each comprise inner and outer sleeves lll and l5, an intermediate body portion 1B, and eye members 'il the shanls of which are screwed into the inner sleeve "it made of separable sections. Between this latter sleeve and outer sleeve l5 is a fusible portion llt and it will be apparent that on fusing of the portion 'I6 the sleeve 'M separates the eyes il are no longer connected and any wires connected by the means may be pulled apart. Owing to the fact that the Shanks of the eyes are screwed into the sleeve 'M the eyes may be turned relatively to bring them into the desired angular relationship.

Means are provided for sounding an alarm in the event of the closing of the valve it. This means includes a contact pin 'iii projecting through a housing i9 carried by the arm il and also projecting through such arm to extend at the side thereof toward the lever i3. The pin is insulated from the arm il by a bushing-like member and a similar member @l insulates the pin from the housing lil. About the pin within the housing is a spring B2 bearing at one end against the insulation 8l and at its other end against a collar 83 on the pin and normally maintaining said collar against the bushing 8e. In its inner face lever I3 is provided with a groove or recess 84 opposite the projecting end of the pin 18 when the parts are in normal position whereby under normal conditions the pin does not contact with the lever. An inclined wall Sil-a leads downwardly from this recess.

The connections for the alarm feature of the system are shown in Fig. 2 wherein 3&3 is a transformer connected to the house Wiring system by leads 86 and by a wire 8l connected with the contact pin 'I8 of the arm il. Wire 33 connects the transformer with one binding post of anl alarm such as the bell 89 and a Wire 9@ connects the other contact of such alarm with the valve casing Il or lever i3 or some other part conductively connected with such lever to form a ground.

When the arm and lever are in their normal relation the contact pin 'i8 is spaced from the lever by reason of being opposite the notch or recess 84 of the lever as shown in Fig. 5. However, on the arm il being released owing to the fusing of one of the fusible means 1l2 th-e arm I1 swings downward relatively to the lever i3 as previously explained so that the inner end of the contact pin is brought against the inclined wall 84a of the lever closing a circuit to the alarm signal 89. Obviously, the means 89 may take the form of a light or of any other type of signal, audible or otherwise, but is preferably a bell or similar alarm so as to arouse members of the household in case of nre.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. In combination, a normally open valve, means normally tending to move the valve to closed position, a tensioned wire, means constantly tensioning said wire, a latch means held in latching position by said Wire, a connection between said latch and valve to maintain said valve in open position, and a fusible means in the length of said wire and adapted on a predetermined rise in temperature to fuse and release the wire whereby said latch moves from latching position releasing said valve.

2. In combination, a normally open valve, means tending normally to move the valve to closed position, a pivoted arm, means connected with the valve and arm and holding the valve in open position and adapted to be released by the arm on movement of the latter about its pivot, al pivoted latch engaging and maintaining said arm against such movement, and means including a fusible means normally holding said latch in position preventing movement of said arm and a spring between the latch and the fusible element constantly tensioning said latch holding means.

3. In combination, a normally open valve, a lever connected to move said valve to closed position, means tending normally to move the lever and close the valve, a pivoted arm, means connected with the lever and arm and supporting the lever with the valve in open position and adapted to be released by the arm on movement of the latter about its pivot, a pivoted latch engaging and maintaining said arm against such movement, means including a tensioned wire normally holding said latch in position preventing movement of said arm, and a fusible means in the length of said wire.

4:. In combination, a normally open ValVe, means tending normally to move the Valve to closed position, a pivoted arm, means including a tensioned spring connected with the valve and arm and retaining the valve in open position and adapted to be released by the arm on movement of the latter about its pivot, a pivoted latch engaging and maintaining said arm against such movement, and means including a fusible means normally holding said latch in position preventing movement of said arm.

5. In combination, a normally open valve, means tending normally to move the valve to closed position, a pivoted arm, means connected with the valve and arm and maintaining the valve in open position and adapted to be released by the arm on movement of the latter about its pivot, a pivoted latch engaging and maintaining said arm against such movement, and means including a tensioned spring and a fusible means normally holding said latch in position preventing movement of said arm.

6. In combination, a normally open valve, a lever connected to move said valve to closed position, means tending normally to move the lever and close the valve, a pivoted arm, means including a tensioned spring connected with the lever and arm and supporting the lever with the valve in open position and adapted to be released by the arm on movement of the latter about its pivot, a pivoted latch engaging and maintaining said arm against such movement, and means including a tensioned spring and a fusible means normally holding said latch in position preventing movement of said arm.

'7. In combination, a normally open valve, means tending normally to move the valve to closed position, a pivoted latch including an inclined surface portion, means including a fusible means maintaining said latch in normal position, a pivoted arm including a portion resting on said inclined surface when-the parts are in normal position, a connection between the arm and the valve whereby when said arm is in normal position it maintains the valve open, and said connection including a tensioned spring whereby when said latch is released it is cammed out of normal position releasing the arm.

8. In combination, a normally open valve, means tending normally to move the Valve to closed position, a pivoted latch including an inclined surface portion, means including a spring tensioned wire to maintain said latch in normal position, a fusible means in the length of said wire and connecting the ends of a pair of sections thereof, a pivoted arm including a portion resting on said inclined surface when the parts are in normal position, a connection whereby when said arm is in normal position it maintains the valve open, and said connection including a tensioned spring whereby when said latch is released it is cammed out of normal position releasing the arm.

9. In combination, a normally open valve, a lever connected to move said valve to closed position, means tending normally to move the lever to close the valve, a latch means, a connection between the latch means and the lever normally holding the lever in position with the valve open, spring means tending to move said latch means from normal position to release the lever, and a fusible means holding the latch means in normal position.

WILLIAM L. BELKNAP. 

